TransAtlantic Petroleum crossed the Atlantic in its search for profitable oil and gas assets. The crude oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production company, which was formed in 1985, has operations in Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. It has producing rigs at Turkey's Selmo oil field and Thrace Basin (natural gas) through its Viking International subsidiary as well as more than 7 million undeveloped acres in Turkey. Its exploration operations include acreage in Romania (shale gas) and Bulgaria (natural gas). In 2012 the company sold its drilling services business to a company owned by TransAtlantic Petroleum's CEO for $167 million.